About 100 people turned out for an informational session on hiking at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library in November. Adirondack Mountain Rescue, a volunteer search-and-rescue organization, put on the program to help teach those seeking to explore outdoors the skills and gear they need to have. (Gillian Scott / Special to the Times Union) less

About 100 people turned out for an informational session on hiking at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library in November. Adirondack Mountain Rescue, a volunteer search-and-rescue organization, put on the program to ... more

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About 100 people turned out for an informational session on hiking at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library in November. Adirondack Mountain Rescue, a volunteer search-and-rescue organization, put on the program to help teach those seeking to explore outdoors the skills and gear they need to have. (John Bulmer / Adirondack Mountain Rescue) less

About 100 people turned out for an informational session on hiking at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library in November. Adirondack Mountain Rescue, a volunteer search-and-rescue organization, put on the program to ... more

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Outdoors: First step in hike should be learning

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Was one of your New Year's resolutions to start spending time in the woods? If so, your first step should be to arm yourself with the gear and knowledge you'll need to stay safe.

Before the winter hiking season started, about 100 people attended a "High Peaks Awareness Program" at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library offered by a local search and rescue group, Adirondack Mountain Rescue. The two-and-a-half-hour session included information on how to prepare for outings, what gear to carry, and ways to stay safe when in the Adirondack High Peaks.

John Bulmer, president and public information officer for Adirondack Mountain Rescue, says there are more people in the woods than ever, but not all of them have the skills they need to stay safe. They may rely on their cell phones for navigation, for instance, or hike in the winter without snowshoes.

"Everyone wants to go out and enjoy the wilderness," Bulmer says. "And that's fantastic. It's just that they don't really realize what the level of responsibility is when they go out there. What I like to say is, skills are the lightest thing you're going to carry in your tool box."

With state forest rangers stretched thin, Adirondack Mountain Rescue decided to host educational programs in an effort to make sure those heading into the wilderness are prepared for what lies before them. The program in Clifton Park was the first, with future programs still in the planning stages.

"You really see that there's an outcry to help the rangers," Bulmer says. "The rangers are overworked. There's a static number of them, and incidents are on the rise."

In 2016, forest rangers conducted 356 search and rescue missions statewide. That's up from 341 search and rescue missions in 2015, and 273 in 2014. The incidents range from calls for lost hikers that can be quickly found and walked out to multi-day searches that require help from volunteer search and rescue groups like Bulmer's. (The rescue organization is one of about two dozen search and rescue groups affiliated with the New York State Federation of Search and Rescue Teams.)

The informational programs are "what we felt that we can do aside from actually responding to help them with manpower," Bulmer says. "If we made one person safer and they don't need to call for a rescue, then it's a success."

Adirondack Mountain Rescue is not the only volunteer group doing educational outreach. The Adirondack 46ers, in partnership with the Adirondack Mountain Club and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, posted volunteer trailhead stewards on weekends and holidays at the Cascade Mountain trailhead from June through Columbus Day. Fran Shumway, the program's volunteer coordinator, says the stewards interacted with more than 13,000 hikers at the busy trailhead, offering information on DEC rules and regulations, "Leave No Trace" principles, and safety and preparedness, including what gear should be carried.

"Even if we can't influence behavior that day, maybe we've given them something to think about in the future," Shumway says.

Capital Region residents seeking to beef up their outdoors skills have a variety of options. Right now, many of the classes are focused on winter activities, but as the year goes on, there will be other classes as well:

ADK's Winter Mountaineering School runs from Jan. 25-31 this year, and offers day hike, backpacking and combination sessions. The program is also offering a session in New Hampshire's White Mountains in March. Go to www.winterschool.org.

Once a year, the 46ers offer a weekend-long outdoors skills workshop for those interested in leading or participating in wilderness trips (this year's workshop is May 4-6 at the Adirondak Loj in Lake Placid). The club website also has pamphlets and documents available on hiking and safety information. Learn more at www.adk46er.org/outdoor-skills.html.

Outdoor retailers may also offer skill-building classes. Upcoming classes at L.L. Bean include "Dress for Success in the Outdoors – Winter" (Saturday), "Winter Camping" (Jan. 13 and Jan. 18) and "Winter Outdoors Survival" (Jan. 25). For a complete list, go to llbean.com, click on "Outdoor Schools" and search for events near Albany. Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company in Saratoga Springs is also hosting a session on preparing for winter hikes in the Adirondacks on Jan. 13. Go to www.store.mountainmanoutdoors.com/winter-preparation-for-hiking-in-the-adirondack-hi.html.

The state Forest Rangers endorse the HikeSafe program for preparing hikers and campers for outdoors experiences. Learn more at www.hikesafe.com.